3X NBA champion LeBron James will fulfill a dream on Monday, July 30, when he opens his first elementary school for academically at-risk students in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.

Building on the LeBron James’ Family Foundation’s mission to give back to the community, the I Promise school will serve 240 of the Akron Public School district’s most academically challenged 3rd and 4th graders who are at-risk of falling between the cracks in the regular public school system.

Like a proud dad, LeBron will stand in front of the schoolhouse doors to welcome the students on their first day at their new school on Monday.

Students were chosen at random from a pool of underachievers who scored low marks on aptitude tests in the Akron public school system.

While LeBron is in Los Angeles chasing a 4th NBA championship ring, he is committed to dropping in to check on the students’ progress throughout the school year.

The I Promise school will offer students a more individualized academic curriculum to help them catch up to their peers. The school will have smaller classrooms (20 students per class compared to 34 per class in other public schools) and longer days to keep students off the streets.

Although the elementary school currently accepts two age groups, the program plans to accept more age groups over the next few years.

The 6-foot-8 L.A. Lakers power forward, pictured with his former head coach Tyrone Lue, couldn’t contain his excitement in a series of social media posts.

“The jitters before the first day of school are real right now!!!” he tweeted on Sunday.

“Tomorrow is going to be one of the greatest moments (if not the greatest) of my life when we open the #IPROMISE School. This skinny kid from Akron who missed 83 days of school in the 4th grade had big dreams… for the kids in Akron to give them everything they could need to find their passion, give back to our community and change the world!! This school is that. The people are that. Akron is that. @LJFamFoundation we’ve always done it big… and it doesn’t get bigger than opening day tomorrow (until the next thing we dream of) I’m so unbelievably proud and excited to see my kids, my home, and the 330 tomorrow. THANK YOU! Let’s get it. Let’s go @IPROMISESchool #WeAreFamily #IPROMISE”.

 

Photos by Ethan Miller/Getty Images, Jason Miller/Getty Images, Twitter.com/LJFamFoundation